[House Report 117-615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                   {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                   {      117-615

======================================================================

 
      RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOUNDARY MODIFICATION ACT

                                _______
                                

 December 12, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 6427]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 6427) to amend the Red River National Wildlife 
Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River National 
Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and 
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Red River National Wildlife Refuge 
Boundary Modification Act''.

SEC. 2. RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.

  Section 3(a)(1) of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Act (Public 
Law 106-300; 114 Stat. 1055) is amended by striking ``map entitled `Red 
River National Wildlife Refuge--Selection Area', dated September 5, 
2000'' and inserting ``map entitled `Red River National Wildlife Refuge 
Acquisition Boundary' and dated March 21, 2022''.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 6427 is to amend the Red River National 
Wildlife Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River 
National Wildlife Refuge.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Red River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was created 
when the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Act was signed into 
law on October 13, 2000.\1\ The Refuge consists of nearly 
50,000 acres of Federal lands and waters, stretching about 120 
miles along portions of the Red River between Colfax, 
Louisiana, and the Arkansas state line. Every year, 
approximately 80,000 waterfowl utilize the Refuge as a place 
for feeding and resting, and over 200 species of neotropical 
migratory songbirds stop over at the Refuge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Pub. L. 106-300.
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    In 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) developed a 
Strategic Action Plan for Waterfowl Management in the 
Southeast, which established the Waterfowl Working Group to 
increase waterfowl management efficiency on NWRs. In 2020, the 
Group finalized consistent waterfowl targets across the 
southeast region for waterfowl and sandhill cranes and found 
that the current land of the Red River NWR does not produce 
enough food for the number of birds that visit, and the Refuge 
would need to expand.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\Hagy, H., R. Wilson, J. Stanton, and Z. Cravens. 2020. A Process 
for Establishing Waterfowl Conservation Objectives for National 
Wildlife Refuges in the Southeast Region. U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/175323.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    H.R. 6427 modifies the Red River NWR's acquisition boundary 
to allow for the conveyance of a 3,300-acre tract of privately 
owned land. This expansion will help address the food deficit 
for waterfowl. In addition, FWS anticipates additional 
benefits, such as local economic benefits through partnerships 
with local farmers, enhanced public access within and outside 
the Refuge, and substantial waterfowl distribution throughout 
the region.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 6427 was introduced on January 19, 2022, by 
Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA). The bill was referred 
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the 
Committee to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. 
On March 29, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On December 8, 2022, the Natural Resources Committee met to 
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous 
consent. Chair Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment 
designated Grijalva amendment #1. The amendment was agreed to 
by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was adopted and 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
unanimous consent.

                                Hearings

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held 
on March 29, 2022.

            Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional Budget Act

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, as well as clause 3(d) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee has received the 
following materials for the bill from the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office:

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules

    The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives 
announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the 
rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is 
limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order 
against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-
thirds majority vote.
    At the request of the Majority Leader and the House 
Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those 
bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to 
review the legislation before consideration. Although it is 
possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation 
would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be 
insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO 
has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a 
more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including 
effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.

	[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    The Committee adopts as its own any finalized additional 
materials of the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
regarding the bill, should such materials be made available 
before House passage of the bill.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to amend the Red River National 
Wildlife Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River 
National Wildlife Refuge.

                           Earmark Statement

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                 Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement

    An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of 
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such 
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget 
Office website.

                           Existing Programs

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

               Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

                 RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES OF REFUGE.

  (a) Establishment.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish the 
        Red River National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 
        approximately 50,000 acres of Federal lands, waters, 
        and interests therein within the boundaries depicted 
        upon the [map entitled ``Red River National Wildlife 
        Refuge--Selection Area'', dated September 5, 2000] map 
        entitled ``Red River National Wildlife Refuge 
        Acquisition Boundary'' and dated March 21, 2022.
          (2) Boundary revisions.--The Secretary shall make 
        such minor revisions of the boundaries of the Refuge as 
        may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of the 
        Refuge or to facilitate the acquisition of property 
        within the Refuge.
          (3) Availability of map.--The Secretary shall keep 
        the map referred to in paragraph (1) available for 
        inspection in appropriate offices of the United States 
        Fish and Wildlife Service.
  (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Refuge are the following:
          (1) To provide for the restoration and conservation 
        of native plants and animal communities on suitable 
        sites in the Red River basin, including restoration of 
        extirpated species.
          (2) To provide habitat for migratory birds.
          (3) To provide technical assistance to private land 
        owners in the restoration of their lands for the 
        benefit of fish and wildlife.
  (c) Effective Date.--The establishment of the Refuge under 
paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall take effect on the date 
the Secretary publishes, in the Federal Register and 
publications of local circulation in the vicinity of the area 
within the boundaries referred to in that paragraph, a notice 
that sufficient property has been acquired by the United States 
within those boundaries to constitute an area that can be 
efficiently managed as a National Wildlife Refuge.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


        Supplemental, Minority, Additional, or Dissenting Views

    None.

                                  [all]